Categorize
by Skoozyy
Summary: Soujiroh contemplates the different kinds of women. Yuki/Soujiroh. Now a two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**My first HYD one-shot, and about my favourite pairing, too. Inspiration for this struck at 2 o'clock in the morning, and refused to let me sleep until I'd written it. That's what you get for rewatching too many episodes of the drama just before you go to bed XD Anyway, my sleep-deprived rambling aside, hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't actually own Hana Yori Dango. It'd be pretty darn bad if I did.**

As he sees it, there are two types of women in the world. It's no more complex than that, really.

The first type is what he would describe as _his _type. Beautiful women with glitzy, low-cut dresses, bleached hair, fake plastic nails and cheap imitations of expensive jewellery. They're not classy. None of their beauty is natural. Their apparent admiration for him is about as real as his façade of respect for them. Tonight, they'll have their fun together, but by tomorrow lunchtime, they won't recognise or remember each other. These women always look so different in the daylight, away from the electric flickering of nightclubs, and the dimmed lamps of hotel suites.

Soujiroh can look upon these women, and he sees the sleaze. He sees the dirt. He feels repulsion in his stomach sometimes, if he lets himself think too hard into it. They're so practiced. So seasoned. He doesn't want to let his mind stray to thinking of how many men they've had before him. Sweaty, gasping, panting, heaving men on top of them, in exactly the same position as he himself. He's just another attractive, wealthy man who can satisfy their desire for fun, while also bestowing them with expensive, meaningless gifts, and false feelings. Just as they mean nothing to him, they will take very few hours to forget him entirely.

He knows how false everything about them is. He knows how false he is around them. But he keeps on. Every night he goes out, he never once comes back alone. His list of conquests gets a name longer each time. Although he rarely even remember as much as their name by the morning after. He likes the ones that leave before he wakes up the best. It's easier that way. They can just fade away into yet another drunken haze.

Sometimes, when he's feeling particularly reflective with himself, a state he tends to avoid, he asks himself why he does it. Does he enjoy it? Yes. He'd be lying if he said he didn't. It's not just the sex, either, that he likes. He likes how they act out adoration for him in the couple of hours in which he 'acquaints' himself with them. He knows it's an act, but in some ways that's better than the real thing. No strings. No responsibility. No expectations. He can feel truly powerful for just a little while, with no adverse consequences. It suits him well.

Soujiroh knows this first type of girl entirely. There's no mystery in them anymore. Once you've had the first few, they're much of a muchness, he's always thought. He can't recall any that break the mould, except perhaps a few particularly pretty ones here and there.

No, he has a handle on this type of women. It's the second kind that scares him.

He'd put Yuki squarely into this category. It's because of this that he refuses to consider her. If she were the first type, he would have had her almost as soon as he laid eyes on her. She would, in his eyes, be one of the exceptionally pretty ones. The ones that stick in his head a little longer than most. But still, that would have been it, once the deed was done. He would forget her, and her him. That kind of one-off encounter with her would be completely within his comfort zone.

But Yuki is not that type of girl. Yuki is the _other _type. The type he truly despises.

He'd never let himself get to know one up until meeting Yuki. He sees something in them, and he knows that he could not forgive himself if he allowed himself to tamper, to dirty, to ruin, something that is never an issue with the women he tends to socialize with.

There's a pureness in girls like Yuki unlike anything that his conquests possess. It's a pureness that promises that every accidental touch, every softly spoken word, every meeting of the eyes will be remembered, thought over, with delicate, hopeful smiles.

It's too much pressure for him. He couldn't live up to it. These girls, unlike his type, have expectations, hopes, dreams. They want love beyond anything that could be given physically. They want someone who would take their heart and keep it safe. That's what Yuki is asking from him. It's what she hopes for from him. She wants him to love her, to care for her, and to keep her safe. She simply doesn't understand that he can't do any of those things. Not yet.

He's not ready yet. He's not ready to leave behind his life of cheap alcohol, cheap women and easy sex. To do that would mean venturing into territory he doesn't even want to contemplate yet. He won't leave it until he simply can't hide any longer. Until he becomes a true man. Until he's ready to love, and be loved in return. Until he's ready for relationships to mean something. To last for months or years, or perhaps the rest of his living days.

That time will come, without a doubt, and when it does, he hopes she'll be there. He hopes he won't be too late. If there's only one woman from the dreaded second type that would pull him in, ensnare him and not let go, he has no doubt in his mind that it'll be her. It hasn't happened yet, and maybe it won't even happen soon, but he's sure that someday, he'll fall in love with that girl.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you Zetnnik for the idea for this chapter, I was intrigued with the idea, even though I felt really cruel writing it. & thanks also to ToinKs for the review - I wrote this part really early in the morning, too, like the last one. Only this one I wrote the moment I got home after a 3 hour nighttime train ride from Paris to London. So yes, it's probably got a bit of sleep deprived insanity written in XD Thanks to everyone reading this!**

**WARNING: This is not happy Soujiroh/Yuki love. Being a huge shipper of them, it made me sad to do this... but it was pretty fun to write all the same.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hana Yori Dango, tbh. **

* * *

He knew it was over. It hadn't been an epiphany, a sudden moment of realization. No, he couldn't pin down exactly when he had begun to feel this way, it had been the snowball effect. Just a little feeling of unease here and there turned into general dissatisfaction, which in turn progressed into this. This feeling of pity and shame for the life that he had led. It was over. He was ready to move on. He wanted something else, something more. Something he almost felt as if he had no place in asking for, especially from the one he wanted it from the most. From her. Yuki. Innocent, pure and beautiful Yuki. But since when had he let things such as possible embarrassment hold him back? He had decided what he wanted, and what he wanted was always what he got. He wanted to hear her being called by his name. Nishikado Yuki. He's never realised the importance of that before, the changing of the name. He'd dismissed it as nothing but an inane tradition, but he could see it for what it was now. It was a signal to the world that she wasn't open to anyone else anymore. With his last name replacing her own, it was the signal that she was _his._

When had he last talked to her? He flipped efficiently through his little black book for her name, bypassing those of all the easy women who had plagued his life for far too long. He wouldn't be needing those number again, he was sure. It must have been at least a year, at least, since he had last heard the voice of the woman who was at the forefront of his mind now. He wasn't entirely sure why it'd been so long. Maybe the death threats from Tsukushi had played a part in his unwillingness to be the one to instigate any involvement with Yuki. Anyway, he had never had to be the one to contact her before. Only a year ago, he could time almost to the minute when his phone would give its usual irritatingly high pitched continuous beeping, indicating that she was on the other end, waiting to bother him with chit-chat, and silly schoolyard jokes. As she blushed, invisible to him, on her end of the line, he would often flick through catalogues of jewellery being auctioned in the near fortune, making notes of the pieces that could come in handy for his harder-to-please conquests.

He dialled in the number he had only used once or twice before. It seemed to take forever for anyone to pick up. He fiddled impatiently with the pages of his black book. He seemed to be riddled with adrenaline. It was rare for him to be so filled with excitement. Even he was surprised with himself for how much he was looking forward to hearing her soft, gentle voice.

"Hello?" There it was. She sounded the same as ever, even though there was a little something in her voice that he couldn't quite place. Surprise? He imagined she'd have been filled with surprise to see his name flash up on her screen after so long. He couldn't suppress a smile. He wondered if she felt as excited as he did at the moment. He doubted it, but surely she would once he delivered his proposition to her.

"Good morning, Yuki-chan." He said, "How are you? It's been a while."

"I'm fine… but, Nishikado-san… why are you calling now? It really has been so long."

"I wanted to invite you out for lunch." He declared. He had the reservation at his very favourite low-key café already booked. He imagined she'd feel uncomfortable if he took her somewhere too elaborate, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad around him.

"Oh… really?" She hesitated for a moment, "With the rest of the F4, too? Is Tsukushi coming? She didn't mention it when I saw her earlier."

She was obviously in disbelief that he would invite just her out, because that, by ordinary courting rules, would be a date. Which is exactly what Soujiroh intended it to be. Well, he intended very much to surprise her today in general, and exceed all the assumptions she'd made about him. He was resolute. He was going to be the perfect prince to her. He'd put her through enough crap in the past with his playboy ways, after all. She deserved to see the best of him now.

"Nope, the others aren't coming. It'll just be me and you."

"Oh…" There was a moment's silence on the other end, and he wondered if perhaps their connection had been cut off. He was about to ask if she was still there, when she spoke again.

"Well… If we're going to meet, there's someone I need to bring."

Now it was his turn to not know what to say. Who could be so important that they had to come along on his and Yuki's private date? A friend, he decided. He'd never really thought about her friendships beyond that with Tsukushi, but of course she must have them. Whoever this friend was, she must want to prove to them that she really does know Nishikado Soujiroh from F4. Nothing more than that. This person will probably go away once they've seen him in the flesh, been convinced, done a bit of swooning over him. Then it'll be just him and Yuki alone, as he'd planned.

"Sure." He agreed breezily. He then quickly reeled of the details and address of the café. Once he put the phone down, he's smiled. His first real relationship… He felt an unusual warm tingling sensation in his chest that was not altogether unpleasant. He couldn't help but think that he might quite soon be sold on this love thing.

***

Two hours later, and he's sitting at his favourite table, one in the corner, in the café, a cup of coffee in front of him which he stirs idly as he watches the entrance closely, waiting for her. Around him, all the tables are empty, just as he'd asked. The café is closed to the public for the day. This means he will have Yuki completely to himself. His stomach almost, _almost_ swoops at the thought. But Soujiroh doesn't _do_ nervousness, so he retains his composure, managing to stay looking as calm and rather cocky as usual.

Then, she's there, suddenly. He doesn't notice the door opening until she's inside the café, looking exactly like she always had. The corners of his mouth twitch upwards as he sees her. She really hasn't changed. Her hair is still long, almost touching her waist. Her eyes still shine the same. She's wearing a pair of knee-high boots that have almost become her trademark. He knows in that first minute that he was right with what he supposed before. If he ever fell in love, it would be with the girl standing only metres away from him.

"Yuki-ch-" The words are stolen away from him by the entry of another person. Of the friend. Or so he had thought. It's a boy, a boy who looks barely out of his teenage years, still retaining some of the gangly looks and disproportionately long limps that indicate a tricky adolescence. He definitely does not deserve to be described as a fully fledged man.

Yuki spots Soujiroh, and heads in his direction with a quick glance at the boy at her side. She tugs lightly on his shirt, and he follows her like a lost puppy.

"Nishikado-san." Yuki says, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

He doesn't repond. His eyes are fixed on the boy. He knows the face, he's sure, he just takes a moment to know where from. Then it hits him.

"Makino!" He almost gasps out, "You're Tsukushi's brother, aren't you?" He helped the runt in the art of wooing women, when he had a crush on a girl at his new school. Why had Yuki brought that little boy to meet him?

The boy nods nervously.

Yuki sits down opposite Soujiroh, and indicates the boy, Susumu, to follow.

"I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand-"

"Why did you ask me here, Soujiroh?" There was a coldness in her voice. "Was it a date?"

As much as Soujiroh wouldn't allow himself to be nervous, to allow himself to be embarrassed would be equally unforgivable. He doesn't want to lie to her, anyway. After all, all the best relationships are built with truth as the foundation.

"Yes." He replies simply, turning his full attention onto her, forcing himself to ignore Susumu. This is about him and Yuki. He had no idea how Susumu fits into it, but as far as he could see, the runt is irrelevant.

"Finally looking to settle down, then?" She asks. He can't quite understand why she is glaring at him with such accusatory eyes.

"I'm ready to be a one-woman man, yes." He declares. He thought that, at least, would rise a smile. If anything, her frown deepens.

"So you thought you'd call me?"

"I couldn't think of anyone I'd prefer to spend the-"

"Did you really think I'd wait for you?" She snaps at him. Her eyes are positively glowing in anger. He's never seen her anything like this before. It is far from what he had been expecting.

"No," He says immediately, more because he feels this is the answer she wanted than anything else, "I have no problem if you've dated since we last met. In fact, even better, so we're both more ready to settle down."

Yuki makes a noise of disgust.

"You're so self-confident you thought I'd just drop everything in my life just because you whistled for me to come to your side finally?"

"I didn't-"

"I'm sorry, Nishikado-san, but your opinion of yourself is ridiculously inflated." She is emitting anger and disgust in waves, that seem to penetrate through his very skin.

"_This,"_ She indicated to Sumusu beside her, "Is the man I would do anything for. _This_ is the man who would do anything for me. _This_ is the man who didn't take my heart, and trample on it time and time again with cruel games and loose women. _This_ is the man I'm spending the rest of my life with." She takes a moment to catch her breath. There is a silence in the café that even the rumble of the coffee maker can't fill.

"Y-you're married?" Soujiroh chokes out, when the power of speech returns to him.  
She nods. Susumu looks frightened. He is eyeing Soujiroh warily, as if he is a bomb that could go off at any moment.

"I'm sorry." Yuki says, standing up. There is no real apology in it. If anything, she is apologizing simply for the rudeness of the way she delivered the words, rather than the words themselves.

"Goodbye, Nishikado-san." She says, turning without another glance, and heading towards the door. Susumu follows her, tripping over a chair leg as he goes, and almost ending up on the floor.

"Wait!" Soujiroh says, standing up himself. "Then… what was I to you?" He dimly recalls asking Sara, so many years ago, a similar question.

Yuki doesn't turn to face him again.

"You were just a silly schoolgirl crush that could never have been real."

In that moment, she was gone, her husband by her side.

One moment later, a single tick of the clock, Soujiroh's heart broke.

That night, he kissed a nameless girl without feeling any sensation, while another unbuttoned his shirt without his awareness. He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or just the sense of utter numbness that had settled over him that was leaving him so unresponsive to everything.

He was certain of only one thing. He wouldn't let his heart come into play again. He has been wrong. He should have known his place. His place was with cheap and easy girls. He didn't have the right to take anything else. He had been wrong to try.

Three years from now, he would marry a plain, rich daughter of the head of an important company. They would live together, but as two separate entities. He would have mistresses on the side. His wife and he would never entwine themselves in each other's lives, so it would barely matter.

Later on, they would become parents to a couple of unloved children, who would be cared for solely by the nanny. They would forget each other's and their children's birthdays, unless reminded by their secretaries.

He had been too late in falling in love with Yuki. In that, he had signed himself up for the cold, loveless life that was his future. In the end, it was his punishment.

* * *

**Author's note: I don't know WHY I made Yuki marry Susumu. I just didn't want to have to invent a character XD Also, I don't share Soujiroh's opinion that Susumu is a 'runt'. I think he's absolutely adorable...**


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